CBD: Don’t Believe the Hype

Cannabis is now all over the media. That makes me really happy! As an avid Cannabis user, educator, and advocate, even I am more than a little concerned about the ever-growing hype about CBD (cannabidiol, one of the many phytocannabinoids in cannabis). Yes, CBD has therapeutic properties. No, it is not the panacea miracle drug that so many people claim it to be. Yes, CBD is effective for extreme childhood seizure disorders. No, this does not mean taking CBD is going to cure all of your illnesses.

We are a culture of trending health diets and fads. I’m afraid CBD is falling into that category. Plant medicine is for real. Cannabis medicine is for real. CBD does have therapeutic benefits that interact with our own Endocannabinoid System. This does not mean that every hyped up CBD product on the market is going to work. Since most of them are derived from industrial hemp in Eastern Europe or China, they’re probably not going to. Price does not guarantee quality. I see all sorts of outrageous prices on the market! Researchers found that only 30% of CBD products on the market have within 10% of what is actually on the label. 42% had more CBD than listed on the label and 26% had less CBD than stated (Marcel O. Bonn-Miller, Mallory J. E. Loflin, Brian F. Thomas, Jahan P. Marcu, Travis Hyke, Ryan Vandrey. Labeling Accuracy of Cannabidiol Extracts Sold Online. JAMA, 2017; 318 (17): 1708 DOI: 10.1001/jama.2017.11909)

We need a holistic approach to health. Including when working with Cannabis. We also need to be able to discern and weed through the marketer’s exploits. A stand alone CBD is only going to be have limited effectiveness. I always go back to what Ethan Russo, neuroscientist and cannabis researcher who theorizes that there is a synergistic effect between all constituents found in plants, including phytocannabinoids (THC, CBD) and terpenoids (aromatic compounds that have known therapeutic benefits and create the pungent smell of cannabis). That means that CBD alone can have some therapeutic benefit, but when we combine that with other constituents in the plants, we have an even stronger effect. When we ingest anything, we also have to take into account our own physiology, metabolism, and healing ability. All of these factors play a role in how plant medicine works within the body.

That’s why all herbal medicine, OTC and pharmaceutical drugs can react differently for each person. And that’s why we can’t make claims that CBD is saving everyone’s life and curing all illnesses. CBD companies shouldn’t be making health claims anyway. It violates FDA rules and many businesses are getting cease and desist letters because of it.

The beauty of what is happening is that there are millions of us that love Cannabis! Millions more have wanted to love Cannabis and have been lied to for decades about how dangerous and addictive it is. Now everybody’s curiosity is justified by the medicinal benefits of CBD! That’s great and all, but now we need to update our weed knowledge now that Cannabis has come out of the closet.

The more people excited about plant medicine the better! With all this enthusiasm- let’s drop some education about cannabis.

1. Cannabiscan be used in phytoremdiation. This means that Cannabis can be used to accumulate heavy metals like cadmium. Because heavy metals can be present in plant material (and even more concentrated in CBD products) it is so important to know where our CBD products come from. Know your supplier! And always ask to see proof of heavy metal and pesticide testing of the CBD used in their products.

2. Terpenoids, like linalool, beta caryophellene, and pinene are found in Cannabis. And also found in other medicinal plants. The same aromatic molecules are in plants like lavender, pine, citrus, and countless others. It is the synergestic effect of terpenoids and phytocannabinoids (CBD, THC, and others) that illicit Cannabis’s effects. Read Ethan Russo’s research article Taming THC.

3. The way we describe Cannabis indica and Cannabis sativa is completely wrong. This is too in depth to go into here so I embedded The Real Dirt podcast interview where I speak in detail about the differences between the two species. You may be surprised at what you find out!

This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to learning about Cannabis. Information and enthusiasm is spreading fast. Let’s stay informed, and high. Let’s definitely stay high!

With love,

Jessica

when energy flows, wellness grows

PS: Speaking of Cannabis, I had so much fun interviewing Dr. Michele Ross for The Herb Walk Podcast this week. She is a wealth of information! Our conversation was exhilarating, reminding me how far we have come with cannabis in just a few years. And how far we still have to go! The episode will be released next month and I am so excited to share it with you.

For now, enjoy my episode, The Taxonomy of Cannabis on The Real Dirt instead.